An Se-young has secured her 47th international singles title and extended her reign at world number one to 106 consecutive weeks, according to official Badminton World Federation records. Japan has praised the Samsung Life Insurance athlete as the world’s strongest following her overwhelming performances.
She surpassed the previous record of 46 wins held by Indonesian badminton legend Susi Susanti. The Badminton World Federation counts singles titles from statistics compiled since 1999, excluding team event results such as the Uber Cup and the Asian Team Championships.
An Se-Young Retains World Number One Ranking
According to the Japanese badminton media outlet Badminton Spirit, An Se-young has retained her position at the top of the world rankings with 122,287 points, putting her in a class of her own and leading all five categories. Akane Yamaguchi of Japan and Wang Zhiyi of China follow closely in the 100,000-point range. Her total time at world number one now extends to 168 weeks.
This season, An Se-young has claimed nine gold medals in individual events. Out of 11 international tournaments entered, she finished as runner-up at the All England Open in March and withdrew in the round of 16 at the Japan Open in July due to injury, claiming victory in all other events. Last year, she established a fresh milestone by capturing 11 titles, matching Kento Momota of Japan for the all-time single-season record in both men’s and women’s singles victories.
France Open Semifinals and Milestone Chased
An Se-young has advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 BWF World Tour France Open (Super 750) at Arena Porte de la Chapelle in Paris, France. She advanced past China’s Han Yue in the quarterfinals with a straight-game victory of 2-0 (21-13, 21-16). Her record this season stands at 64 wins and 1 loss, featuring 48 consecutive victories.
Having previously won the France Open in 2019, 2024, and 2025, a victory in the current event would secure her fourth title there, her 10th trophy of the year, and make her the female singles player with the most titles while achieving a three-peat record, the first in 21 years since France’s Pi Hongyan accomplished the feat between 2003 and 2005.
